Speed warning device



Jan. 10, 1950 J. L. M KNIGHT 2,493,985

SPEED WARNING DEVICE Filed Feb. 24, 1947 INVENTOR. James L. MC/(n/yhf @AJFW Patented Jan. 10,v 1950 UNITED STATES 2,493,9s5

- I SPEED pnvi'cn James 'L. McKnight, Houston; Tex; Application February 24, 1947; Serial- No; 130,408

a speed warning device for motor vehicles of the character described that may be easily and readily connected or'disconnected' by the operator,v while the vehicle is either at a stop or in motion. Often while driving in regulated areas, the driver of a motor vehicle is not conscious of the exact speed of the vehicle and, as at night;'the

operation of a vehicle does'not permit constant check of the speedometer to avoid exceeding speed limits of given areas. this invention to provide a means for' indicating tothe operator of the vehicle when the maximum speed allowed has been reached and a means for easily and readily adjusting the indicator to any given speed;

The above and-other objects will be apparent" from the following description and illustrated in Y the accompanying drawings; wherein:

Figure 1 is an isometric-view of the warning device;

Figure 2 is a side elevatlonal cross sectional view, and

Figure 3 is a plan view, showing the speed warning device attached to a motorvehic1e cowl ing.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings; the numeral 21 indicates a cylindrical housing which is preferably composed of two sections which are secured together by means of the-con ventional bolts 28, 29. A framework consistingof the longitudinally extended arms t8, H has suitable ports as 3|, 32, 33, to receive conventional bolts (not shown) for securing the framework to the dashboard of a vehicle. The housing 21 is slidably mounted on the arm l9 by means of ,the set screw H, the threaded end of which passes through a longitudinal slot 30 in the arm I 9 and isreceived by the internally threaded port 36in the housing 21. A suitable lock washeras It maintains the set screw in position.

Mounted within the housing 2! are the support bars [4, 14-, preferably welded to the inside bot It is an'obiect or speed comm (01.14 v H ,r V

tom section of said housing. slidably mounted on'said support bars is'f the'a'diusting table, 15.. A'set screw [3; whose externally threaded shank engages the" internal threads otlrthe pqrt 31,111

'- the housing 21, has, one end seated in a swivel r2. which'is mounted in one end of the adjusting table [5. The opposite 'end of the adjusting, table f5""is" upwardlyprojected"and has a port 38; through which the operating r'od 2 3'passesl Suit-- able grommets; such as 215, are mounted in one end of saidhousing z'l'andas'll inthe, other end 'of said housing; provide bearings forthe rod'v23. 'Afcoil' spring [0? hasfoneend thereof m'ounted'ina. tubular housing zii' and embraces said rod 23;:anc the other end of said coil springs seating againstth end w'all'of said housing 2,1 The grommet 'l'f'may be shaped to 'form a guide for maintaining the said coil'spring in position. against said end wall ofthe housing 21 as shown in Figure 2 The tubular housing 26 iswelded,

or*otherwise"secured, to theirod" 23 as indicated bythenui'neral 35'; Thejrod 23: has. a head 2 1 on -the extended" end thereof which hasa groove 3E therein whichacts'as a guide for'theknuckle j'oint 39"of the accelerator.

A tubular housing lf ha'vihg one end thereof externally threaded, i's'moui'ited on the housing 2T;'the"threadedfend thereof being, received by the interna ilythreaded port 49' in said housing 21'. A cap 51s" mounted on the upper endof said-1 tubular "housing 1; A plunger 'rod 4 extends mm the housing 2T and through said cap 5' and housing 1'. Mounted on the lower end of said, plunger 35 rod dis" a suitable stop means-which abuts against the tubular housing zswhen' the rod 23is 'inindi-Q cating'position. Mounted on the opposite end of said plunger rod 4 is a caps through which the flexible shaft I is mounted; Said flexible m shaft l is releasabl'y maintained in position by means of a'suitable's'et screw as 'The' device is mounted 'on the bowling of'a.

motor vehicle bysecuring the arms"l:8',"l9'to' the" cowling with'suitable'bolt's (not shown) passed 45x through the ports 3f, 32, 33. A port is drilledin,

the cowling through which the rod 23exten'd's l The set screw 11 is loosenedand the" housing 21 moved forward until the head 2|"on the rod12 ff contacts the knuckle jointof the acceleratorr'od' 39, said accelerator rod beingreceived'f'and guided-by the groove 34 in i said head =21; The

position.

' 3 set screw I! is then tightened to maintain the housing in position on the framework. The vehicle is then put in motion and when the desired maximum speed to be indicated has been reached the operator manipulates the adjusting screw l3, moving the adjusting table It backward until the head 2i contacts the knuckle joint 39 without pressure exerting against said knuckle joint. While operating the vehicle after this adjustment is made when the speed desired to be indicated is reached, the accelerator rod knuckle joint 39 will contact the head 2| and the spring I!) will exert a resistance against further acceleration of the vehicle thus indicating to the driver that he has reached the maximum speed desired. If for any reason additional speed is desired, the resistance offered to the further acceleration of the vehicle may be easily overcome;

extending longitudinally through and yieldably mounted in said main housing, and adapted to contact the accelerating means of the motor veand when the need for the additional speed has passed and acceleration reduced, the indicator will continue to indicate the desired speed maximum. When it is desired to discontinue the speed indication and resistance to acceleration,

4 yieldable resisting means adapted to contact the knuckle joint of the accelerator means of said motor vehicle at a predetermined degree of acceleration and to ofier resistance to further acceleration thereof, means in cooperative connection with said accelerator for overcoming said resistance and moving said resisting means out of contact with said accelerator, locking means for maintaining said resisting means out of contact with said knuckle joint of said accelerator and means for manually releasing said locking means and permitting said resisting means to move back into resisting relation with said knuckle joint of said accelerator at the said predetermined degree of acceleration. I

.3.A sped warning device for motor, Vehicles comprising a framework, a main housing adjustably mounted on said framework, a contact rod hicle, means within said main housing for adjusting-the point of contact of said contact rod with such as when leaving a restricted area, the operator may press the accelerator pedal 4| to the floor of the vehicle and the rod 23 will move the tubular housing-'26; backward until the stop 9 on the'plunger rod 4 clears the housing 26 and the spring 6 forces the rod downwardly until the stop 9 abuts against the rod 23. The operator may then release the accelerator pedal fil'rand the stop 9 on the rod 4 will hold the rod 23 away from the accelerator knuckle joint 39 permitting the vehicle to be operated at any desired speed without resistance from the speed indicator. When a restricted area is again reached, or for any reason it is desired to place the speed indicator back into operation, the plungerrodil and stop9 may be raised by means of the manually operated cable I which extends through the dash board 42, until the stop 9 clears the housingZB, permitting the spring in to move the housing 26 and the rod 23 back into the speed indicating In some types of vehicles the accelerating means will make it desirable to exert a pullon the contact rod 23 rather than a push (as.illus-- trated) in which event the yieldable resistance means within the housing zl may be reversed to accommodate the pull iwpe of accelerator. Itis said accelerating means to offer yieldable resistance't'o said accelerating means after said accelcrating means contacts said contact rod, locking means adapted to bemoved by the accelerating means intoengaged position to maintain said contact rod out of contacting relation with said accelerating means and means for manually moving said'locking means out of engagement to'permitl the contact rod to return to contacting position with said accelerating means.

' i. A speed warning device for motor vehicles comprising a framework, ama'in. housing adjustmounted, in said main housing, and adapted'to contact the accelerating means of the motor vehicle, means within said main housing for adjust- 'ing the pointof contact of said contact rod with said accelerating means to offer yieldable resistance to said accelerating means after said accelerating-means contacts said contact rod, an

, upstanding tubular .housing mounted on said main housing having a plunger yieldably mounted obvious that all motor vehicles will not have exactly the same accelerator arrangement, however, it is believed minor changes may be made in the arrangement of the working parts of the invention hereindescribed to accommodate any of the .varioustypes of accelerating means. 1 V

The embodiments of the invention herein shown and described are to beregarded as illusg trative only, andit is to be'understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the scope of the appended claims. I

What I claim is: l

1; In a speed warning device for motor vehicles, means for contacting the accelerating means of the said vehicle and ofiering resistance thereto when a predetermined acceleration has been reached and in operative connection-With said accelerating means, means for moving said contacting means but of contacting relation with said acceleratingmeans and manually controlled spring operated means for returning said I resistance means to resisting position with theaccelerator at the predetermined position.

i 2. In a speed warning device for motor vehicles,

therein and extending downwardly into said main housing, a stop on one end of said plunger adapted to move into and out of locking relation with said contact rod, means on the other 'end of said locking relation with said contact rod.

' plunger for manually moving said plungerout of 1 '5. In a speed warning device a framework adapted to be mounted on the cowling of a motor vehicle, a main housing adjustably mountedon said'iramework-a oontactrod extending through and yieldably mounted within said mainhousing; a tubular housing secured to said contact rod-E within said main housing in which a coil spring 1 is mounted, adjusting means in contact with said 7 tubular housing for adjusting the point of con tact of said contact rod with the acceleration.

means of the motorvehicle, means mounted'on said main housing adapted to be moved, into contact with said contact rod to maintain said contact rod out of contact with said accelerator.

6; In a speed warningdevice a' framework, a" main housing adjustably mounted on said'frame work, a contact rod extending through and yieldably mounted within said main housing, a tubular housing secured to saidcontact rod within" said main housing in which a coilspring is mounted,

adjusting means in contact with said tubular housing for adjusting the point of contact of said contactrod withtheaccelerationwmeans of the motor vehicle, a tubular housing mounted on said REFERENCES CITED main housing having a plunger yieldably mounted I therein, a stop on one end of said plunger adapted g g g ggf g me of record m the to abut against the outer surface of said tubular housing within the main housing, and adapted 6 UNITED S ATES PATENTS to move downwardly and prevent the movement Number Name Date of said contact rod into contacting relation with 2 145 665 Rodgers Jan 31 1939 said accelerating means of said motor vehicle 2165897 Liley July 1939 when the contact rod is moved backwardly 2352136 Ten Eyck June 1944 through said main housing, moving the tubular 10 213813390 vanke Aug 7:1945

housing connected thereto beyond the said stop.

JAMES L. McKNIGI-IT. 

